My lil snookie has a face abscess. Oh joy

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Kitsa

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 17, 2011
Messages
232
Location
Indiana
Last night I was checking on my rats and I noticed one of my girls face seemed swollen. I picked her up and felt it. There is a hard mass growing there. It doesn't seem to be causing any problems right now but with Sly and LB going to the vet and a few other things my cash has been dropped to a point that surgery isn't an option.

I'm not even sure if were the mass is located if surgery would even be an option. It just right there on her cheek dead center.

I don't even know this girl to well. She was at my boyfriends house since he bought her. Didn't know her and definitely don't know her age. All I knew about her is that she came from a horrible pet store from the feeder bins with her poor tail and body all bitten and was pregnant with three babies. If I had to guess her age I would say just a little over a year old like the rest of my crew.

She was so crazy at first, screamed like she was going to die if you got to close and if you picked her up she was sling poop everywhere. Just overall a crazy rat but ever since she moved in with me she settled down and just became a sweet heart. Loves to be petted behind the ears and really loves having the buttom of her chin scratched.

I'll try and post pictures but so far all the ones I've taken you can't see the mass. It might just be the angle i'm taking them at.
 
lilspaz68 said:
is it directly below her ear or farther back or forward? Can you smell anything from the lump, her ear or even her mouth?
Click to expand...
No smell, checked three times. The lump is directly below her eye near her mouth. So if you held a rat and ran your finger from its eye down the the very bottom of there head its right there.
 
Kitsa said:
lilspaz68 said:
is it directly below her ear or farther back or forward? Can you smell anything from the lump, her ear or even her mouth?
Click to expand...
No smell, checked three times. The lump is directly below her eye near her mouth. So if you held a rat and ran your finger from its eye down the the very bottom of there head its right there.
Click to expand...

Take careful pics from above her head so we can see the swelling if possible. I wonder if its a tooth abscess?
 
photo0262.jpg
Photo0261.jpg

I have these right now and you can kinda see the swelling. Give me a sec and i'll try and get some from above.
 
The pictures I was able to get this morning. It has grown.
Its really easy to see the growth from the button and side of her head.
Photo0264.jpg


Cant see the lump at all from this angle
photo0263.jpg


Still no smell and each time I attempt to look in her mouth I don't see anything.
 
It split open. Its not a large hole but its got some very thick green crap in it. I don't even wanna call it pus.

I'm boiling some water so its sterile and i'm going to make some saline solution to wipe it off with.
 
Kitsa said:
It split open. Its not a large hole but its got some very thick green crap in it. I don't even wanna call it pus.

I'm boiling some water so its sterile and i'm going to make some saline solution to wipe it off with.
Click to expand...

YAY!!!! Abscess!! :bliss:

You are going to want to flush it out, the saline will break down the pus and thin it out so it comes out eventually
 
I'm so relieved! I didn't post anything before because I did not want to be bearer of bad news... I just lost my Lili to a facial tumour, so I was so hoping you were facing an abcess!!! YAY!!!! :joy:
 
Is it normal for an abscess to be that hard? I couldn't move it at all, felt just like a round piece of bone just sitting there.. Only one of my rats have had an abscess so far so i'm still not used to them.

Also since its on her face whats the best way to wash it? I just had Sly sit in lukewarm warm and then rinsed with saline solution since it was on his stomach.
 
A facial abscess can be very serious depending on whether it is into the gum etc. or if it is associated with a tumor.

I hope you can get her on antibiotics, such as clorpalm, asap
I hope that it is just a simple abscess that is quickly dealt with
 

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